Amazon's Alexa Gains Follow-Up Mode for Back-to-Back Requests Without Repeating Wake Word

[burgman]

Agree it makes it more convenient but I still don’t trust Amazon or Google... or any other company whose main motive is to mine data for ad dollars. Not a fair trade at all... my data is worth far more than any digita assistant technology that’s not very smart.

Always laugh at this my data is valuable. Unless you spend 100s of thousands or millions of dollars a year, your online and digital assistance use data isn't individually much if anything. Credit card companies, banks, grocery stores your smart TV, and many other places know more about you than Amazon or Google.

 

[OTACORB]

Always laugh at this my data is valuable. Unless you spend 100s of thousands or millions of dollars a year, your online and digital assistance use data isn't individually much if anything. Credit card companies, banks, grocery stores your smart TV, and many other places know more about you than Amazon or Google.

THIS!!! It always amazes me that people really think that Google and Amazon are just snooping on them just to obtain their data. I mean they can snoop on me all they want and they wouldn't get enough data to put on 1/4 sheet of paper. I don't think I am very valuable in the grand scheme of things. Most places we do business with know so much more about us. Hell one of the biggest credit reporting agencies allowed our data to breeched and we still don't know the real extent of that. I have all my credit reports locked and use a monitoring service, but if you do anything these days your info is out there.

I also think Apple has done a good job marketing themselves as being big on privacy and people believe it, just like some people believe iPhones and Apple Watches are better than anything else out there. All about marketing and the image you paint for yourself. But no one REALLY knows!

At least Amazon gives you the option to turn it on or off, many times Apple adds stuff like this and you are stuck with it rather you like it or not because they never want to give options.

 

[H.E. Pennypacker]

Agree it makes it more convenient but I still don’t trust Amazon or Google... or any other company whose main motive is to mine data for ad dollars. Not a fair trade at all... my data is worth far more than any digita assistant technology that’s not very smart.

The great news is you have total control on what you put in your home so you shouldn’t need to worry.

 

[skinned66]

When will they teach these assistants the word ‘and’?

They can already do contextual follow up questions, just teach them to link requests together.

I find IFTTT sorely lacking here. I can't string routines together to turn on my lights and entertainment system with one command because they're different technologies from different companies. But I can bark two commands to do them individually. It's something I can do with HomeKit but only by creating a room which isn't exactly ideal either but better than nothing.
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Always laugh at this my data is valuable. Unless you spend 100s of thousands or millions of dollars a year, your online and digital assistance use data isn't individually much if anything. Credit card companies, banks, grocery stores your smart TV, and many other places know more about you than Amazon or Google.

All google is going to know is how often I'm home, there's nothing really that interesting. The data can be "deleted" if you believe that also. If I'm ever an attempted murder suspect again Google Home might actually give me an alibi.

It's nice they give you a mic switch so nobody can hear you ********.

 

[Sill]

THIS!!! It always amazes me that people really think that Google and Amazon are just snooping on them just to obtain their data. I mean they can snoop on me all they want and they wouldn't get enough data to put on 1/4 sheet of paper. I don't think I am very valuable in the grand scheme of things. Most places we do business with know so much more about us. Hell one of the biggest credit reporting agencies allowed our data to breeched and we still don't know the real extent of that. I have all my credit reports locked and use a monitoring service, but if you do anything these days your info is out there.

There's way more data available about you than you realize. That quarter sheet of paper probably leads to enough info about you to fill 30 pages. You're just thinking about your transactions, but there's way more to it than just what you bought, in the case of Amazon, or what you searched for, in the case of Google.

At least Amazon gives you the option to turn it on or off, many times Apple adds stuff like this and you are stuck with it rather you like it or not because they never want to give options.

I doubt anything is ever turned off with Amazon, Google, FB, Twitherd, or whatever. Its simply obscured to the end user. Those companies gather and keep large amounts of data on people who aren't even members of their services (thanks to bonehead friends and business contacts who upload their contact lists), so why wouldn't they gather and keep even more about people who are members? Facebook has already been caught at this.

Apple of late has indeed been worrying me. For a privacy-forward company, Apple is remarkable at accidentally-on-purpose leaving all those things on "opt-out" on new phones. Health, iCloud backup and photos, Find My iPhone, Find My Friends, Location Services, etc. Every time I buy a new iPhone I have to badger the sales drone into leaving the phone in the box and letting me set it up so I can turn all that stuff off before I restore the info.

I recently logged into my iCloud account on someone else's phone, just so I could access my mail and texts. For some reason when you log into a different account on any iDevice since iOS 10, it "helpfully" turns on iCloud photo library and equally helpfully uploads the photos on that device to the new account. I refuse to use iCloud or any other service for photos or cloud backup, and due to this "feature" suddenly there were photos in my iCloud that have nothing to do with me. I logged out in a panic, and went into iCloud on my local machine, but it wouldn't let me delete the photos unless I signed back in on the device that uploaded the pics.

Also, I can't delete the Health app from any of my phones, and the data size of the Health app on each of them has grown over time even though I don't use any of the fitness tracking. So where is the data coming from?

 

[Aston441]

Incredible.

I took a chance on an Echo over two years ago and I'm ever more impressed with each passing week. I have Dots and Echos all over the house now seamlessly and beautifully controlling everything. One is connected to a high end audio system that puts the HomePoo to shame. The moment Amazon releases an AlexaPhone I'm tossing the iPhone (that I've been turned away from the iPhone store for battery replacement four 4!!!!) times now, right in the trash. The only thing that's kept me on iOS is iMessage, and after the battery shenanigans I just don't care any more I'm so fed up. I'll live without it.

If I had any Apple stock left I'd be selling it so hard. I feel like Apple stock right now is the greatest pump and dump in history.

 

[spiddyman007]

I like the idea of follow-up mode, provided it can be done while still being secure. Will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with.

I do get frustrated at times, having to do the "hey, Siri" wake all the time.

Yeah. Siri’s a joke

 

[kyjaotkb]

US only. Meh.

 

[Gaspode67]

I find IFTTT sorely lacking here. I can't string routines together to turn on my lights and entertainment system with one command because they're different technologies from different companies. But I can bark two commands to do them individually. It's something I can do with HomeKit but only by creating a room which isn't exactly ideal either but better than nothing.

There's a way to do it in IFTTT. Create the applets that you need to achieve each action, and make sure you use the same activation phrase(s) and AI response. If you do that, a single use of the activation phrase(s) will trigger all the actions. I've done that with a number of different systems & it works a treat.

 

[skinned66]

There's a way to do it in IFTTT. Create the applets that you need to achieve each action, and make sure you use the same activation phrase(s) and AI response. If you do that, a single use of the activation phrase(s) will trigger all the actions. I've done that with a number of different systems & it works a treat.

Thanks for the tip, I will try that. Perhaps I over-thought the whole thing.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I see the sucess of voice control assistance having 3 of 4 firm legs and the other "sturdy enough": Cost, Compatibility, Convenience, Security. Apple has security nailed down. Siri's other legs are a bit wobbly though, probably because of security. And that would be fine if Apple was seen as actively trying to firm them up. But it seems like Apple is either stumped how to do that or has convinced itself that Siri is fine the way it is. Apple can only sell the security angle for so long before consumers get enticed with the strength of the cost, compatibility, convenience of other systems. Once consumers buy-in it's too late.

I know Apple understands this. I'm not sure why it seemingly ignores it. So many things Apple does these days is half-assed. Apple's like a kid at Xmas that is excited about a new toy, plays with it for hours, then gets bored and never touches it again. I really don't want to see Amazon eclipse Apple. It would be terrible for consumers and especially us CE hobbyists. I just wish Apple would get focused. It's not like it's short staffed.

 

[zombierunner]

Is this US only because I don't see it in settings here in UK.

 

[Aston441]

I see the sucess of voice control assistance having 3 of 4 firm legs and the other "sturdy enough": Cost, Compatibility, Convenience, Security. Apple has security nailed down. Siri's other legs are a bit wobbly though, probably because of security. And that would be fine if Apple was seen as actively trying to firm them up. But it seems like Apple is either stumped how to do that or has convinced itself that Siri is fine the way it is. Apple can only sell the security angle for so long before consumers get enticed with the strength of the cost, compatibility, convenience of other systems. Once consumers buy-in it's too late.

I know Apple understands this. I'm not sure why it seemingly ignores it. So many things Apple does these days is half-assed. Apple's like a kid at Xmas that is excited about a new toy, plays with it for hours, then gets bored and never touches it again. I really don't want to see Amazon eclipse Apple. It would be terrible for consumers and especially us CE hobbyists. I just wish Apple would get focused. It's not like it's short staffed.

You forgot FEATURES. I can make Alexa do anything. Programming it is simple, most people with a even a modicum of programming experience can learn how do create a simple skill in a day. I have wide cheap access to TONS more music than Apple Music will ever have. I can plug a Dot into the highest end audio system.

HomePod is a one trick pony, and a chained up pony at that. It's almost useless.

 

[Aston441]

I see the sucess of voice control assistance having 3 of 4 firm legs and the other "sturdy enough": Cost, Compatibility, Convenience, Security. Apple has security nailed down. Siri's other legs are a bit wobbly though, probably because of security. And that would be fine if Apple was seen as actively trying to firm them up. But it seems like Apple is either stumped how to do that or has convinced itself that Siri is fine the way it is. Apple can only sell the security angle for so long before consumers get enticed with the strength of the cost, compatibility, convenience of other systems. Once consumers buy-in it's too late.

I know Apple understands this. I'm not sure why it seemingly ignores it. So many things Apple does these days is half-assed. Apple's like a kid at Xmas that is excited about a new toy, plays with it for hours, then gets bored and never touches it again. I really don't want to see Amazon eclipse Apple. It would be terrible for consumers and especially us CE hobbyists. I just wish Apple would get focused. It's not like it's short staffed.

It's not terrible for consumers at all, it's wonderful!

After being Apple's whipping boy for years, a new choice is finally emerging - a nimble, responsive choice that's LISTENING to their customers, providing higher quality, more choices, more openness, more features, for WAY LESS MONEY!!!!

They're almost certainly going to release an Alexa phone - I'm very excited to ditch Apple soon!!!

 

[Sill]

You forgot FEATURES. I can make Alexa do anything.

No you can't. You can't make it stop listening to you.

 

[Morgenland]

(removed on advice)

 

[Morgenland]

(removed on advice)

 

[usarioclave]

Amazon’s recommendation system is so bad that it makes me wonder how useful personal data really is. I’ve been shopping on amazon for more than 18 years and I don’t remember ever seeing a recommendation that was any good.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

You forgot FEATURES. I can make Alexa do anything. Programming it is simple, most people with a even a modicum of programming experience can learn how do create a simple skill in a day. I have wide cheap access to TONS more music than Apple Music will ever have. I can plug a Dot into the highest end audio system.

HomePod is a one trick pony, and a chained up pony at that. It's almost useless.

"Your" features is just another way of saying "my" convenience term. Either way one terms it, features or convenience, it's what makes a device desirable and usable.
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It's not terrible for consumers at all, it's wonderful!

After being Apple's whipping boy for years, a new choice is finally emerging - a nimble, responsive choice that's LISTENING to their customers, providing higher quality, more choices, more openness, more features, for WAY LESS MONEY!!!!

They're almost certainly going to release an Alexa phone - I'm very excited to ditch Apple soon!!!

If you truly think it's great then you are just a partisan, not a true CE enthusiast. To say Amazon has been "Apple's whipping boy" makes zero sense. Amazon's entry into CE is fairly recent in terms of the company's history. And it's goal of CE is to collect consumer data. It's a Trojan horse. I'm not sure how that is good for consumers. But more to my point, having less choice is never good for consumers and should Apple become an also-ran in voice control that is a negative no matter if you like Apple or not.

Personally, I'm a HomeKit/Siri user because of the 4 legs I described earlier security is my top priority. No other voice system comes close to what Apple offers because Apple's business model is the polar opposite of Google or Amazon. Just the same I do appreciate how both of those companies help to raise the bar on features. If Apple is hoping this is another Tortoise and Hare tale, it's wrong. Amazon and Google are not going to let up and take a beat here.

 

[Otgsp]

Anyone else see this happening...

 

[Defthand]

Agree it makes it more convenient but I still don’t trust Amazon or Google... or any other company whose main motive is to mine data for ad dollars. Not a fair trade at all... my data is worth far more than any digita assistant technology that’s not very smart.

There are ways to preserve your privacy and anonymity without imprisoning yourself in Apple's walled garden. The key is to determine which information is worth protecting. I used to avoid Google's services. Not because my Internet activities were sensitive, but because I didn't want to be overwhelmed by advertisements or solicitations. I'm no longer concerned. Nothing I have interest in is compromising. Private matters, such as online banking, are protected by secure connections and using a VPN. I never attach sensitive documents to email messages; I use Dropbox and substitute a link. As for the ads, ad blockers seem to be working.

Given Siri's lousy utility and performance, I've divorced it for the superior Google Assistant, Fantastical calendar, and Waze maps. We like our Nest thermostats; the data they monitor and return is insightful.

 

[PilotC150]

Very useful. Been hoping for this since I got an echo. Using lights is a good example. Being able to say Alexa, turn on lights, set lights to 30%. Instead of having to make two separate requests is really nice. It sounds like it wouldnt be that big of a deal but it does get annoying, for me.

I already do that as a single command: "Alexa, turn the living room lights to 30%". And she does it. Maybe it depends on what kind of device you're controlling, but that type of statement always has worked for me.